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Molins madness - day five of three...


AdrianMF

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Well I couldn't let this GB go without building a DH. And I haven't built a Mosquito since the first series 2 release with the button wheels in the 1960s. So I'm in. I have until Friday night cos I'm going to Brum on Saturday morning.

 

Here we go...

 

The parts:

IMG_5381.jpg

 

Decals. The yellow is out of register but I may try to stick the two better halves of the roundels together - if it doesn't work I have an Xtradecal sheet:

IMG_5382.jpg

 

Box in the wheel wells:

IMG_5383.jpg

 

Cut out the footwell:

IMG_5384.jpg

 

cut away the front of the wing box and its tab. There is still enough to hold the wing securely and it actually makes it easier to fit:

IMG_5385.jpg

 

Sand down the boilerplate. Built by furniture makers and steam train manufacturers:

IMG_5387.jpg

 

Spot of filler:

IMG_5388.jpg

 

New wing box:

IMG_5389.jpg

 

The wonders of plastic card:

IMG_5390.jpg

 

Humbrol acrylics:

IMG_5391.jpg

IMG_5392.jpg

 

Where I got to:

IMG_5393.jpg

 

I haven't stuck the nacelles on because the Molins fairing is going to get a lot of sanding tomorrow. And the propellers turn but don't blow round 😟.

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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Damn, you're making look so easy what I laboured so mightily at, wish you'd done yours first, I could have done with some tips, its looking good.

Steve.

Edited by stevehnz
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End of day two...

IMG_5396.jpg

 

Everything fitted together pretty well, and the filling was confined to a dab of acrylic putty smoothed in with a wet cotton bud on pretty much every joint. I had to go round the join between the fuselage and the nose cone three times before I was happy. The strengthening strip round the fuselage (did it have one? I find it hard to see from photos) is paper glued on with canopy glue.

 

Today I have done the "X" braces between the undercarriage legs (painful but done!), added the undercarriage doors and trimmed the canopy to fit better. The canopy is now drying after a dip in Future and later on I will add the canopy and start the final paint coats. 

 

Although I will be doing the scheme from the instructions, I note that the real thing had invasion stripes, and then painted-over invasion stripes, at various points in its career. I realise I haven't *ever* done an invasion stripe scheme, but this probably isn't the time to start! 

 

I also noted that DM-Q is always pictured with petrol tanks on the wings, which makes sense if you are flying a long way and have a 6pdr gun to play with. I will be adding rockets because the instructions say I can, I've already drilled the holes and, er, rockets look cool!

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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Well I haven't made it.

 

BUT. If the GB closes at the end of Sunday, rather than the start, then I have another day, assuming I get back early.

 

Work and poor paint choices did for me in the end. Here's what I did do:

 

The canopy. Interior framing is made from painted 5A fusewire and glued inside:

IMG_5398.jpg

 

Rockets:

IMG_5399.jpg

 

Airframe all done. I had a very nice undercoat of Hu64 on but then I added a coat of silk Hu165. It just refuses to brush on smooth, even with a ton of dilution and flow enhancer. I've sanded it back and I will go for a Matt mix of Hu64 and Revell 57 "grey" to give it a slightly more bluish tinge:

IMG_5400.jpg

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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Good going Adrian. I was hoping to do a similar last minute effort for this GB but it's just not possible.

 

Your progress here in such a short period of time is amazing :clap:!

 

I've been thinking of buying a Falcon set for my Matchbox one; looking at how good yours is has made my mind up.

 

Very nice scratch build work as always; maybe if the paint is kind to you this can still be completed....:o?

 

Good luck!

 

TonyT

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Well, day four (ahem). I passed on my early start to Brum but it was worth it to get a solid coat of grey on with the new mix. My satin Hu165 is now in the bin! Here it is:

IMG_5401.jpg

 

I had to build up the fuselage a bit with acrylic putty to avoid a step at the back of the cockpit - I think I got away with it!

 

If if we have Sunday too then this should be a finisher. Now, shower, suit, bag, car keys...

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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That's looking rather good.  I'm glad I'm not the only one who' s had a problem with Humbrol 165 lately, but the problem seems to have affected my pre-Hornby stock too.  I hope you don't mind me pinching some of your ideas for the pair of T. Mk. III conversions that are looming in my pipeline.

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8 minutes ago, stever219 said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who' s had a problem with Humbrol 165 lately

This was the acrylic version. I binned all my enamels after Humbrol changed the formula. Increasingly I find myself buying Vallejo - easy to brush, good colours, good coverage.

 

Thanks for the comment and steal as much as you like!

 

Regards,

Adrian

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3 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

If I'm being brutally honest, I have to confess I've had better decalling sessions...

IMG_5407.jpg

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

 

Oh dear. That doesn't look like fun :undecided:.

 

Spares box?

T

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I have a complete set of three sheets of Xtradecal red bomber codes in 8", 36" and 48". These are 30". I am laying out a mask. Roundels I have in profusion, and some of them are even in register...

 

Regards,

Adrian

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I'm out of 'likes' but that's good news Adrian :thumbsup2: .

 

A shame that there were no 30" codes.

 

Good luck :)

 

TonyT

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Well that was close! I got my photos taken and in the gallery with about 4 minutes to spare.

 

So I had to mask the squadron codes.

 

I was going to do a step by step but I was in too much of a rush to take pictures! So here are the first three with words to cover the rest.

 

First make a template for the spacing and size of the codes. Q and M are the same width so we can invert the mask on the other side:

IMG_5408.jpg

 

Carefully cut out a strip of tape that is exactly the width of the character strokes. Mark it with a bit of tape at the end so you don't lose it or swap it for another. Put the character stroke tape where the stroke would go and mask around it, then remove the character tape. You now have a masked stroke of the right width:

IMG_5409.jpg

 

Do all the verticals on one side. You can now paint the strokes, leaving out the corners of the Q and the right side of the D.

IMG_5410.jpg

 

Remove the template and position the character tape along the bottom of the uprights, mask it off, remove it and paint the bottoms of the characters. Repeat at the top.

 

When you have the outlines, sand gently to remove ridges and touch up by hand. I used more masking for the M but just freehanded the tick on the Q.

 

I was dreading the band on the spinner. But I blutacked the spinner to the end of a hotel biro then simply rolled it across the edge of my cutting board while touching a brush loaded with Sky on to it.

 

The build is now in the gallery. It is complete, but could do with some more weathering and washes and a coat of varnish:

IMG_5417.jpg

 

Will take better pictures in RFI when "done" done.

 

looking at the b&w pictures of the real thing on the web, I think a real model would use 36" black codes and have darker patches on its belly and nose. I did the belly slightly darker, but it doesn't show in tonight's pictures

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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